Vaccines are one of the most effective public health interventions that has ever been employed. Routine use of vaccines has significantly reduced or eliminated many previously common childhood vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs) in the US. However, increased globalization and a reluctance to follow the recommended vaccination schedule in certain populations, has led to more common outbreaks of VPDs that had once been rare, such as measles or whooping cough. The years 2013 and 2014 saw outbreaks of increased frequency and size. ID_VPDAnnualReport_42015.pdf

Stephen B. Thacker CDC Library collection